The present invention relates to an infrared gas burner, more particularly, an improvement in the manner of which the matrix is held in the supporting structure. In my prior patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,154 there is disclosed a radiant gas burner in which the matrix is held in the gas plenum by a plurality of fasteners that screw in to the side edge of the matrix. Another way of holding a matrix in place is illustrated in the Smith U.S. Pat. No. 4,035,132 where a flange engages the outer face of the matrix to hold the same in place. One of the problems that is associated with this later type of gas burner relates to the heat that is generated on the face of the matrix as the heat can damage the structure that holds the matrix in position. One of the early suggestions of controlling the heat is found in the Bratko U.S. Pat. No. 3,824,064 and subsequent to that time there have been many suggestions of eliminating the problem by introducing air or other non-combustible gas at the peripheral of the matrix as seen in a later Bratko U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,297. Essentially, in these prior art devices the perimeter of the matrix has a non-combustible gas either forced there through from the rear face as in the Smith Patent or a non-combustible curtain of gas is forced through the area adjacent the edge of the matrix so as to prevent heat spill over and to cool the mounting means that hold the matrix in place.
While the curtain of gas approach even as seen in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,154 is feasible it does require rather accurate control of the non-combustible gas in order to control the spill over effect, that is where the gas burning on the face of the matrix tends to spill over into the area in which the non-combustible gas is exiting.
One of the principal objects of this invention, therefore, is to provide a radiant gas burner which utilizes a permeable matrix and which is fastened with a peripheral flange that is made from sintered metal.
Further object of the invention is to provide a sintered metal clamping structure which has a porosity substantially equal to the matrix so that an non-combustible gas curtain may pass through the sintered metal at substantially the same rate that the combustible gas mixture passes through the permeable matrix thus allowing the flame to burn out to the edge of the matrix.